Kingswood Parks Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Kingswood Parks Primary School is a good school. Leaders have worked hard to make sure that learning is interesting and fun.

Pupils enjoy reading and learning through the interesting books they study. Pupils get on very well with each other and with teachers and other staff. Pupils' attitudes to learning are excellent.

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They always get involved in classroom activities. Pupils told us that they feel safe and well looked after in their school.

Teachers and staff have very high expectations of pupils. Pupils are clear about these expectations and work hard to meet them. The behaviour of pupils is exceptional.

...>Pupils work with each other and this allows them to learn and succeed. All pupils we spoke to told us they do not believe that bullying is a problem and it is very rare.

The school offers pupils lots of opportunities for learning beyond their lessons.

Pupils enjoy out-of-school visits and they learn from visitors to the school too. There are clubs and activities which take place at lunchtimes, with some before and after school. These are well attended.

School assemblies give pupils the opportunity to think about others and the communities they live in.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The quality of education is good. Leaders have planned the curriculum with lots of thought.

Pupils are very proud of the work they do in their 'mastery of skills' portfolios. They are right to be proud. Their work is of very high quality.

Teachers' plans make it clear what to teach pupils and when. Teachers have thought about how and when pupils can learn knowledge best. They are not afraid of revisiting key knowledge so that pupils remember it.

High-quality reading books provide a basis for lots of learning. There is a new book to study every half term in every year group. Pupils learn the curriculum through this approach.

For example, in Year 4, pupils study a book about Shackleton's journey to Antarctica. As part of their geography, pupils learn which tropics and capital cities he travelled through. They also think about the clothes Shackleton and his men wore.

As part of their science studies, pupils investigate how explorers kept themselves warm. Pupils have lots of opportunities to practise their reading and writing. Making reading exciting and interesting, is at the heart of the school's learning programmes.

Younger pupils learn their phonics knowledge well. Anyone who does fall behind gets the support they need to catch up. This work prepares pupils for their next steps in reading and writing work.

Teachers choose reading books, so they match the phonics skills of the children.

Leaders know there is more work to do to make the best use of assessment to identify gaps in pupils' learning. They have also recognised that there are further improvements to make in the early years and in key stage 2.

Sometimes there is inconsistency in pupils' learning. For example, in key stage 2, pupils' phonics skills are not always as well identified and developed as they could be.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the support they need.

Assessment of their needs takes place at an early stage. The support they receive in the classroom meets their needs. This support encourages them to be independent learners.

Because of this, they achieve well. Disadvantaged pupils also do well. Leaders make sure that they have access to the resources they need to make learning exciting and enjoyable.

Pupils enjoy activities beyond their lessons. Pupils behave sensibly around the school during social times. They support each other and show care and consideration for everyone.

Inspectors saw pupils helping other pupils and adults. These attitudes help to create a happy and caring environment in which to learn and play. Pupils also take part in educational visits and activities.

The breakfast club is very popular too. Pupils are proud when elected as members of the school council. But they are less sure about how our democracy works and the election process.

They take part in school productions and educational visits.

Children are safe and happy in the early years. There are clear routines which allow children to develop independence.

Staff use their skills to develop the vocabulary of children through talk and play. Inside learning spaces encourage children to learn. Activities are well thought out and structured.

Children develop their reading and number skills through play. During our visit, the children took part in their nativity play. It was clear to see how much the children enjoyed themselves.

They were confident and enthusiastic in everything they did.

The trust supports the headteacher and leaders effectively. Planning for learning is advanced.

Because of this, pupils enjoy lessons and achieve well. Leaders involve subject leaders and other staff in the improvements which take place. They provide teachers and staff with the support they need.

They are considerate of staff workload and well-being. During the inspection it was clear that all staff care about the pupils and their community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

School leaders ensure that those pupils who are vulnerable are safe. The register which records the checks on all adults in school is compliant with all the legal requirements. These checks make sure that the adults the school employs are suitable to work with children.

Staff and governors are regularly trained, using up-to-date materials and documents. There is a culture of safeguarding throughout the school. Pupils feel safe and they are confident staff will support them and help them with any concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Opportunities to develop pupils' understanding of democratic processes in Britain have not been fully developed. Consequently, some pupils have a limited knowledge of elections and the way in which our democracy works. Leaders should ensure that this area of pupils' personal development is improved.

. The quality of education is strong and improving. However, leaders are continuing to develop the use of assessment in their curriculum planning.

Because of this, in a minority of cases, assessment is not used as effectively as it could be to identify gaps in pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that assessment is consistently used to check pupils' learning and knowledge. .

There remain some inconsistencies in the teaching in the early years. As a result, the attainment of children in this stage has been variable over time. Leaders should work to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning in the early years is consistently high.